Urinetown--A Delight

At first I was dubious about the play Urinetown due to the name. I didn't want to take a break from my homework (I spent 2 hours reading for this class). However, when I got there I was so happy that I went! I was pleasantly surprised by the hilarity of the production--I was laughing out loud most of the time! I have seen a couple of plays before and the comedy was always excellent, I always end up being 'that person' who cackles loudly at everything but I really can't help it--plays are in the highest echelon of comedy for me. Both the wit and the slap-stick humor blend together to create the perfect comedic atmosphere. It just gets soo silly. There was this one scene in which the rag-tag towns people get together and sing this epic, intricate song that seems like a parody of Les Miserables and they get all riled up. It's sort of hard to explain, you literally have to be there to get the full impact of the hilarity, which is part of the magic that is theatre. But the play not only had humor but deep underlying questions and ideological conflicts as well. The play addresses issues such as the manipulation of the poor masses as well as the need for liberation in contrast with the need for control. The premise is that these people must pay to pee and if they don't they are sent to 'Urinetown' a.k.a. killed. They successfully rise up and kill their oppressor, but without him and their 'pee tax,' their water is depleted and they suffer from extreme thirst. What is so brilliant is that the play makes you acknowledge these deep questions through comedy. It doesn't force you to think one way or another about these issues, but lets you make your own conclusions. I think that is one indication of good art. My point to all of this is that I am obsessed with plays and find them extremely amusing and was delighted with Urinetown. Go see it! See Caitlyn's post for more information and tickets.